Latest news with #Druze militias
The Guardian
18-07-2025
- The Guardian
The Dragon Bravo fire and artistic swimming: photos of the day
A boy lays flowers at Minehead middle school in Somerset after a child was killed and 21 people injured when a bus crashed while carrying children back from a trip to the zoo Photograph:People participate in an art piece called The Disappeared/Los Desaparecidos in which performers play immigration enforcement agents as they round people up, during a national day of nonviolent action against the Trump administration and against deportations Photograph: Allison Dinner/EPA A couple take pictures from an outcropping as smoke from the Dragon Bravo fire fills the Grand Canyon. Despite recent rains, two wildfires have been burning out of control near the canyon's North Rim, fuelled by recent strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity Photograph:People walk past dried lava from a previous volcanic eruption as they make their way to a watch a fresh eruption Photograph: Jakob Vegerfors/EPA Trees burn during a wildfire Photograph: Manon Cruz/Reuters Disorder after an attempted small boat crossing to the UK Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA Smoke rises amid ruins in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel Photograph: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Relatives of Palestinians killed in an Israeli attack mourn as their bodies are brought to Nasser hospital Photograph: Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu/Getty Images A Bedouin fighter shouts slogans in the village of Mazraa on the outskirts of Sweida during clashes between Bedouin clans and Druze militias Photograph: Ghaith Alsayed/AP Participants stand to attention at Pidpillya camp in the Kyiv region where young people aged 16-24 undergo six days of intensive physical and psychological training Photograph: Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP/Getty Images A night tour of the Colosseum Photograph: Yara Nardi/Reuters Austria's Anna-Maria Alexandri and Eirini-Marina Alexandri compete in the women's duet technical preliminary of artistic swimming at the world aquatics championships in Singapore Photograph: Lee Jin-man/AP Storks on the dome of a mosque, where they have nested for about four years. Each spring they return to lay eggs and stay until autumn, raising and teaching their young to fly Photograph: Hilmi Tunahan Karakaya/Anadolu/Getty Images Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Tomatoes left in the sun to dry
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Syria leader vows to protect Druze after sectarian violence prompts Israeli strikes
Syria's interim president has said it is his "priority" to protect the country's Druze citizens, after Israel vowed to destroy government forces it accused of attacking members of the religious minority in Suweida province. In his first televised statement since Israel's air strikes on Damascus on Wednesday, Ahmed al-Sharaa also warned that Syrians were not afraid of war. Syrian state media reported that the military was withdrawing from Suweida under a ceasefire agreement with Druze leaders. But it is not clear whether that will hold. More than 350 people are reported to have been killed since sectarian clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes erupted in the province on Sunday. The government responded by deploying its forces to the predominantly Druze city of Suweida for the first time Sharaa's Sunni Islamist group led the rebel offensive that overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December, ending 13 years of civil war. However, the fighting escalated and government forces were accused by residents and activists of killing Druze civilians and carrying out extrajudicial executions. US says 'specific steps' agreed to end Syria violence after Israeli strikes hit Damascus Who are the Druze and why is Israel attacking Syria? Deadly clashes in Syria's Druze areas raise fears of widening unrest The Druze religion is an offshoot of Shia Islam with its own unique identity and beliefs. In addition to Syria, there are sizeable communities of Druze in Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the occupied Golan Heights. Syrian Druze and other minorities have remained suspicious of Sharaa since he took power because of his jihadist past. His Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is a former al-Qaeda affiliate that is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN. Their fears have been heightened by several outbreaks of deadly sectarian violence, including one in May between Druze militias, security forces and allied Islamist fighters that also prompted to Israel intervene militarily. In his speech early on Thursday, Sharaa stressed that the Druze were "a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation", and that he rejected any attempt for them to be dragged into the hands of what he called "an external party". The president said government forces deployed to Suweida had "succeeded in restoring stability and expelling outlawed factions despite the Israeli interventions", which he said caused a "significant complication of the situation" and "a large-scale escalation". "We are not among those who fear the war. We have spent our lives facing challenges and defending our people, but we have put the interests of the Syrians before chaos and destruction," he said. Responsibility for security in Suweida would now be handed to religious elders and some local factions "based on the supreme national interest", he added. Sharaa ended the speech by promising that the government was "keen on holding accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people". On Wednesday, Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told the country's own Druze citizens on that Israeli forces were "acting to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the gangs of the regime". The Israeli military said its aircraft struck the Syrian military's headquarters in Damascus and a military site near the presidential palace, as well as armoured vehicles on their way to Suweida, and firing posts and weapons storage facilities in southern Syria. "We are acting decisively to prevent the entrenchment of hostile elements beyond the border, to protect the citizens of the State of Israel, and to prevent the harming of Druze civilians," the military's chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, said during a visit to the Golan Heights. "We will not allow southern Syria to become a terror stronghold," he warned. The general also said there was "no room for disorder near the border fence", after hundreds of Druze crossed the heavily fortified frontier with Syria on Wednesday. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said it was speaking to all of the parties involved and had "agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end". "This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made and this is what we fully expect them to do," he added, without giving any details. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, says more than 350 people have been killed since Sunday. They include 79 Druze fighters and 55 civilians, 27 of whom were summarily killed by interior ministry and defence ministry forces, according to the group. At least 189 members of the government forces and 18 Bedouin tribal fighters have also been killed in the clashes, it says. It was not immediately possible to verify the SOHR's casualty figures, but Syrian security sources also said Wednesday that the death toll was close to 300.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Syria announces ceasefire after latest outbreak of deadly sectarian violence
Syrian government forces deploy at the Mazraa village on the outskirts of the city of Sweida, where clashes erupted between Sunni Bedouin clans and Druze militias, southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) BUSRA AL-HARIR, Syria -- Syria's defence minister announced a ceasefire shortly after government forces entered a key city in Sweida province on Tuesday, a day after sectarian clashes killed dozens, while neighbouring Israel again launched strikes in the area. Murhaf Abu Qasra said in a statement that after an agreement with the city's 'notables and dignitaries, we will respond only to the sources of fire and deal with any targeting by outlaw groups.' The latest sectarian violence to emerge under Syria's new leaders began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between members of local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions in the southern province, a centre of the Druze community. Syrian government security forces sent to restore order on Monday clashed with Druze armed groups. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz in a joint statement said Israel had struck to 'prevent the Syrian regime from harming' the Druze religious minority 'and to ensure disarmament in the area adjacent to our borders with Syria.' In Israel, the Druze are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the armed forces. Syria's state-run news agency SANA did not give details about the strikes. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israel struck a tank belonging to the Syrian military as forces began to move deeper into Sweida city. Manhal Yasser Al-Gor, a member of the Interior Ministry forces, was being treated for shrapnel wounds at a local hospital after an Israeli strike hit his convoy. 'We were entering Sweida to secure the civilians and prevent looting. I was on an armoured personnel carrier when the Israeli drone hit us,' he said, adding that there were 'many casualties.' Syria's Interior Ministry said Monday that more than 30 people had been killed, but has not updated the figures. The observatory said Tuesday that 135 people had been killed in 48 hours, including two women and two children. Among them were 19 people killed in 'field executions' by government forces, including 12 men in a rest house in the city of Sweida, it said. It did not say how many of the dead were civilians. There was no immediate Syrian government comment on the allegation of field executions. Suspicion over Syria's new government Israel has taken an aggressive stance toward Syria's new leaders since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a rebel offensive led by Sunni Islamist insurgent groups in December, saying it does not want militants near its borders. Israeli forces have seized a UN-patrolled buffer zone on Syrian territory along the border with the Golan Heights and launched hundreds of airstrikes on military sites in Syria. Earlier Tuesday, religious leaders of the Druze community in Syria called for armed factions that have been clashing with government forces to surrender their weapons and cooperate with authorities as they entered the provincial capital of Sweida. One of the main religious authorities, however, later released a video statement retracting the call. The initial statement called for armed factions in Sweida to 'cooperate with the forces of the Ministry of Interior' and hand over their weapons. The statement also called for 'opening a dialogue with the Syrian government to address the repercussions of the events.' The commander of internal security in Sweida Governorate, Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Dalati, welcomed the statement and called for 'all religious authorities and social activists to adopt a unified national stance that supports the Ministry of Interior's measures to extend state authority and achieve security throughout the province.' But Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader who has been opposed to the government in Damascus, said in a video message that the statement by Druze leaders had been issued after an agreement with the authorities in Damascus but 'they broke the promise and continued the indiscriminate shelling of unarmed civilians.' 'We are being subjected to a total war of annihilation,' he asserted, without giving evidence. Some videos on social media had showed armed fighters with Druze captives, inciting sectarian slogans and beating them. Sectarian and revenge attacks The Druze religious sect began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half the roughly one million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. Clashes on several occasions have broken out between forces loyal to the government and Druze fighters since the fall of Assad. The latest round of fighting has raised fears of another spiral of sectarian violence. In March, an ambush in another part of Syria on government security forces by fighters loyal to Assad triggered days of sectarian and revenge attacks. Hundreds of civilians were killed, most of them members of the minority Alawite sect that Assad belongs to. A commission was formed to investigate the attacks but has not made its findings public. The current conflict has also raised concerns about escalating Israeli intervention. While many Druze in Syria have said they do not want Israel to intervene on their behalf, factions from the Druze minority have also been suspicious of the new authorities in Damascus, particularly after the attacks on Alawites and other minority groups. ------ By Ghaith Alsayed And Abby Sewell Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Syria announces ceasefire after sectarian violence
Syrian government forces deploy at the Mazraa village on the outskirts of the city of Sweida, where clashes erupted between Sunni Bedouin clans and Druze militias, southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) BUSRA AL-HARIR, Syria — Syria's defence minister announced a ceasefire shortly after government forces entered a key city in Sweida province on Tuesday. The announcement came a day after sectarian clashes that killed dozens, and after Israel launched strikes in the area. Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said in a statement that after an 'agreement with the city's notables and dignitaries, we will respond only to the sources of fire and deal with any targeting by outlaw groups.' The clashes began with a series of tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between members of local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions in the southern province, a centre of the Druze community. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that Israel had struck to 'prevent the Syrian regime from harming' the Druze 'and to ensure disarmament in the area adjacent to our borders with Syria.' Syrian government security forces sent to restore order on Monday also clashed with Druze armed groups. During the day, Israel struck Syrian government military tank and said it was acting to protect the Druze religious minority. The Israeli army said in a statement that it had struck 'military vehicles belonging to the Syrian regime.' In Israel, the Druze are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the armed forces. State-run news agency SANA did not give any details about Tuesday's strike. However, the Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israel struck a tank belonging to the Syrian military as forces began to move in deeper into Sweida city. 'Total war of annihilation' Israel has taken an aggressive stance toward Syria's new leaders since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive led by Sunni Islamist insurgent groups in December, saying it does not want militants near its borders. Israeli forces have seized a UN-patrolled buffer zone on Syrian territory along the border with the Golan Heights and have launched hundreds of airstrikes on military sites in Syria. Earlier Tuesday, religious leaders of the Druze community in Syria called for armed factions that have been clashing with government forces to surrender their weapons and cooperate with authorities as they entered the provincial capital of Sweida. One of the main religious authorities later released a video statement retracting the call. The initial statement called for armed factions in Sweida to 'cooperate with the forces of the Ministry of Interior, not to resist their entry, and to hand over their weapons to the Ministry of Interior.' The statement also called for 'opening a dialogue with the Syrian government to address the repercussions of the events.' The commander of Internal Security in Sweida Governorate, Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Dalati, welcomed the statement and called for 'all religious authorities and social activists to adopt a unified national stance that supports the Ministry of Interior's measures to extend state authority and achieve security throughout the province.' Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader who has been opposed to the government in Damascus, said in a video message that the previous statement by Druze leaders had been issued after an agreement with the authorities in Damascus but 'they broke the promise and continued the indiscriminate shelling of unarmed civilians.' 'We are being subjected to a total war of annihilation,' he said. Some videos on social media had showed armed fighters with Druze captives, inciting sectarian slogans and beating them. Sectarian and revenge attacks The Druze religious sect is a minority group that began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half the roughly one million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. Clashes have on several occasions broken out between forces loyal to the government and Druze fighters since the fall of Assad. The latest round of fighting has raised fears of another spiral of sectarian violence. In March, an ambush on government security forces by fighters loyal to Assad triggered days of sectarian and revenge attacks. Hundreds of civilians were killed, most of them members of the minority Alawite sect that Assad belongs to. A commission was formed to investigate the attacks but has not made its findings public. The conflict has also raised concerns about escalating Israeli intervention. While many Druze in Syria have said they do not want Israel to intervene on their behalf, factions from the Druze minority have also been suspicious of the new authorities in Damascus, particularly after the attacks on Alawites and other minority groups. —— Associated Press writer Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv contributed to this report. Ghaith Alsayed And Abby Sewell, The Associated Press
